“Det er helt Texas” (“it’s completely Texas”),
I think I read somewhere it had a connection to the notion that something was “Wild” and crazy, like the Wild West -> then the term evolved into Texas.
Don’t remember the source, but yes, we say that 🙂
Legend has it, Texans use the word, “Norway” to describe the same thing.
Yup its true, mostly used in people 30-60 I think, but most people know what it means
Ive know Norwegians use “Florida man” a lot too
As we say in Texas, uff a meg!!!
I use the phrase, and by reading the comments I feel old now
It might be a regional thing. I live in the north and I have never heard this
Everyone is ignoring the example. We don’t use Texas for wild and crazy, fun, things, we use Texas for instance when being wild and crazy are negatives. It means lawless or poorly organised.
I would never say “this party is Texas” I could however say “it’s completely Texas over at, Town Hall! I can’t believe how inconsistent their work is!”
It’s mostly when things have a nature of lawlessness and exploitable dissaray. I.e. the housing market.
Where I live it was common back in the day. Now it is mostly people well over 50 that are using this phrase.
The phrase I used to use was “helt Texas” (litteral translation: completely Texas). Meaning it is completely crazy.
Don’t know if it’s relevant for you, but Texas is a bit bigger than your picture suggests, For the actual size see link bellow (reddit didn’t let me post it like a link)
Piling on to say it’s a euphemism for lawless, poorly regulated, out of control and/or confusing. It normally has negative connotations and is used by people to express exasperation.
I’m American, and I use the term Texas and Florida interchangeably to describe something stupid, unregulated, and lawless. I also use the terms Kentucky and Mississippi for brain-dead levels of stupid.
We do, I’m 31 perhaps I’m old. (?)
So I learned that it’s mostly true, but more focused in a negative way.
And also that you guys hate Sweden and Denmark 😂
Thanks ya’ll!
I have heard people say that here, yes.
I live in Canada but I’ve talked to this Swedish kid for 6+ years. He’s going to culinary school in Norway (He’s lived there with his dad for years now) and he told me about this a few months ago. So as far as I’m aware, this is 100% true.
If things are completely Texas it means it’s crazy, wild, often awful and totally out of control.
Like the bow and arrow dude, complete Texas
I’ve rarely heard it being used in a positive way, only negative.
We have anther saying (although not used that much any more): “Everyone has an uncle in America.” Which literally used to be the case, since half of Norway’s population emigrated to the US. (My grandfather for instance had not one, but two uncles in Washington State..)
So I suspect this might be the reason why American cowboy movies were quite popular in Norway back in the day? Which probably led to us adopting “Texas” as a way to describe wild west conditions in our daily life.
Quite impotant to note the term is a negative description, thus to actually use the term for a party, things have escalated to a point where law enforcement gets called in, people lunch firewoks from their asscrack indoors and couples have intercourse on the roof while a heard of moose roam the streets high on cocain. Or something in those lines. Not many of those in the news, for better or worse.
28 comments
Can confirm. It’s accurate
“Det er helt Texas” (“it’s completely Texas”),
I think I read somewhere it had a connection to the notion that something was “Wild” and crazy, like the Wild West -> then the term evolved into Texas.
Don’t remember the source, but yes, we say that 🙂
Legend has it, Texans use the word, “Norway” to describe the same thing.
Yup its true, mostly used in people 30-60 I think, but most people know what it means
Ive know Norwegians use “Florida man” a lot too
As we say in Texas, uff a meg!!!
I use the phrase, and by reading the comments I feel old now
https://youtu.be/QvknzK5YYTU
It’s been a thing for years and years. That fact, and the reason why we use it, is well [documented](https://www.thelocal.no/20200123/norwegian-expression-of-the-day-helt-texas/) on [several](https://www.nrk.no/nordland/slik-oppstod-uttrykket-_helt-texas_-i-spraket-vart-1.12617314) [reliable](https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34622478) [websites](https://www.aftenposten.no/verden/i/kmdj/aa-nei-vi-er-fersket-av-usa).
Earliest use I could find was from 1957 – and it seems to be a well known term at the time.
in the city “Bergen” we used to call a street for Chicago, I think we all know why
We got a place in my town we call “Texas city”. Its the most shady place in town.
It is even listed in the largest dictionary: https://ordbok.uib.no/perl/ordbok.cgi?OPP=texas&ant_bokmaal=5&ant_nynorsk=5&begge=+&ordbok=begge
It might be a regional thing. I live in the north and I have never heard this
Everyone is ignoring the example. We don’t use Texas for wild and crazy, fun, things, we use Texas for instance when being wild and crazy are negatives. It means lawless or poorly organised.
I would never say “this party is Texas” I could however say “it’s completely Texas over at, Town Hall! I can’t believe how inconsistent their work is!”
It’s mostly when things have a nature of lawlessness and exploitable dissaray. I.e. the housing market.
Where I live it was common back in the day. Now it is mostly people well over 50 that are using this phrase.
The phrase I used to use was “helt Texas” (litteral translation: completely Texas). Meaning it is completely crazy.
Don’t know if it’s relevant for you, but Texas is a bit bigger than your picture suggests, For the actual size see link bellow (reddit didn’t let me post it like a link)
https://thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTYxOTY0MzU.MTQwNzA2NTA*MjM5NTMyMjU(MTU1OTA0MzI~!CONTIGUOUS_US*MTAwMjQwNzU.MjUwMjM1MTc(MTc1)MA~!IN*NTI2NDA1MQ.Nzg2MzQyMQ)MQ~!CN*OTkyMTY5Nw.NzMxNDcwNQ(MjI1)Mg~!US-TX*NzgzNjgwOA.MjA4NjEzMDM)Mw
Piling on to say it’s a euphemism for lawless, poorly regulated, out of control and/or confusing. It normally has negative connotations and is used by people to express exasperation.
I’m American, and I use the term Texas and Florida interchangeably to describe something stupid, unregulated, and lawless. I also use the terms Kentucky and Mississippi for brain-dead levels of stupid.
We do, I’m 31 perhaps I’m old. (?)
So I learned that it’s mostly true, but more focused in a negative way.
And also that you guys hate Sweden and Denmark 😂
Thanks ya’ll!
I have heard people say that here, yes.
I live in Canada but I’ve talked to this Swedish kid for 6+ years. He’s going to culinary school in Norway (He’s lived there with his dad for years now) and he told me about this a few months ago. So as far as I’m aware, this is 100% true.
If things are completely Texas it means it’s crazy, wild, often awful and totally out of control.
Like the bow and arrow dude, complete Texas
I’ve rarely heard it being used in a positive way, only negative.
We have anther saying (although not used that much any more): “Everyone has an uncle in America.” Which literally used to be the case, since half of Norway’s population emigrated to the US. (My grandfather for instance had not one, but two uncles in Washington State..)
So I suspect this might be the reason why American cowboy movies were quite popular in Norway back in the day? Which probably led to us adopting “Texas” as a way to describe wild west conditions in our daily life.
Quite impotant to note the term is a negative description, thus to actually use the term for a party, things have escalated to a point where law enforcement gets called in, people lunch firewoks from their asscrack indoors and couples have intercourse on the roof while a heard of moose roam the streets high on cocain. Or something in those lines. Not many of those in the news, for better or worse.
Helt Texas! 😓